Dr Philippe Vaillant, Paul Michel, Dr Anne Poelina and Ian Perdrisat with members of the Brainville community conducting
the water ceremony. Ian Perdrisat, based in Broome, identifies primarily as Barkindji on his mother’s mothers language.
Image: Sophie Maillard

by Ian Perdrisat
14 June 2014

S

tanding in the middle of
a two thousand year old
Roman bridge Peter Cullen
Water Leadership Fellow Dr
Anne Poelina, a traditional
custodian of the Mardoowarra
(Fitzroy River) in the West
Kimberley region of Australia
joined hands with Paul Michel
an elder of the petit village of
Brainville to pour water from the
creeks, springs and billabongs
from the Fitzroy River Valley into
the ancient river Meuse deep in
the heart of France.
The trip was in response to a visit
to the Kimberley by Dr Philippe
Vaillant a French post doctoral
research scientist who brought
water from the Meuse to merge
with the Mardoowarra in April.
The water ceremonies shareing
the energy of these great rivers
were conducted to promote the
need to protect the worlds ancient
river systems.
Dr Vaillants’ work involves

promoting community participation
in intergreated water planning and
management.
Prior to the water ceremony
Dr Poelina, Ian Perdrisat and Dr
Vaillant participated in a workshop
with members of the Brainville
community and the La Chenaie de
Mambre association about the need
to build resilient river systems.
Many of the worlds ancient river
systems are threated by the impact
of minning, fracking, damming and
extensive agriculture.
The French experience has
demonstrated resource extraction,
industrialisation and agricultural
activities involving chemical
pesticides and fertilisers has
contaminated rivers to the point
where the water is unfit for human
consumtion or bathing.
Dr Poelina has an objection
against the Duchess Paradise
thermal coal mine proposed by Rey
Resources in the Western Australian
Mining Wardens court and a
submission to the WA EPA Puublic
Environmental Review (PER).
A wide range of interest groups

including traditional custodians,
scientists and environmental groups
have made submissions to the WA
EPA regarding Rey Resoruces
PER about establishing a new coal
mining precinct in a greenfield
wilderness such as the Fitzroy
River Valley.
“We must learn from the
mistakes of the past whether they
be in France or the Murray-Darling
Basin, we must be guided by
evidence in making decisions that
once made cannot be undone. You
cannot repatriate a poisoned river,”
Dr Poelina said.
Dr Poelina attended the
‘Resilience and Development:
Mobilising for Transformation’
Conference (www.resilience2014.
org) in Montpellier and traveled
throughout France during May
2014 listening to concerns from
scientist and the community
regarding threats such as shale
gas extraction, mining and
chemical based agriculture on
the sustainability of living water
systems.